5 Steps to Swifter Turn Times

Appraising is a constantly changing profession. Often, it seems, appraisers are asked to provide more information or have steps added to their process. All of this is to ensure their client receives the most useful analysis that can be achieved. In order to stay current with the continuously changing requirements, Allen Appraisal & Consulting, Inc. is always testing additional tools and improving processes to increase efficiency so we can do more work for you. Since Allen Appraisal & Consulting, Inc. knows that time is important to everyone, here are some tips you can do to trim turn times every time you order an appraisal from Allen Appraisal & Consulting, Inc.:

  1. Are you ordering appraisals online? When you order online, you automatically get e-mail notifications that the assignment was received, and fast, secure .PDF format report delivery. Ordering online is the single biggest time saver available to both of us! No longer do we have to re-key information from a fax, and you don't have to wonder whether the order was received.

  2. Confirm that the subject property data is accurate and complete. There's nothing like being one number off on the street address to add unnecessary time to an appraisal assignment. Unique identifiers like a tax parcel number, plat map number, or subdivision name is helpful information to pass along with your assignment. Even a list of recent sales from the area is welcome — however, remember that professional appraisers must always do their own due diligence on comparable sales, and ours may differ from yours.

  3. If you have any questions about your property or an assignment we're working on for you, don't hesitate to contact us

  4. Tell us up front of the property's distinct features. Cookie-cutter houses are relatively easy to appraise. What takes time is analyzing how elements unique to a property add to or detract from what otherwise would be a property's market value. Let us know up front when you order your report if there are unique characteristics of the home or surrounding area -- for example, it's recently had an addition built on, it's subject to zoning restrictions, and it's prone to flooding. These are things we'd find out on our own anyway, and knowing them early on makes your report arrive sooner.

  5. Let the occupants know what to expect. One of the most inefficient parts of the appraisal process is setting an appointment with the occupants of the home. It's understandable for a homeowner to be apprehensive with an outsider inspecting every corner of their home, taking photos, and making numerous notes. Having the thought that it will make the house appraise for more money, a few homeowners think they need to make the place spotless before the inspection . So they choose to not schedule the inspection until they have cleaned.

    Hearing it directly from you -- a trusted party with whom they already have a business relationship -- a little info about the appraisal process, who we are, and especially that dusting and polishing won't change their home's value one bit, will help move the process along for everyone. Our website has several pages of helpful information about the appraisal process for homeowners. I encourage you to share it with your customers. Have them call us if they want to familiarize themselves with our staff and services. And tell them it benefits them to set the appointment without delay!

  6. Our website is a great resource for tracking the status of your report. Why are you still playing phone and fax tag when our website offers up-to-the-minute status updates available online, anytime, 24/7? As we complete each important milestone in an assignment, that information can be viewed instantly online. It's never been faster and easier to track your report's status.